Chief Eden's "some" problem officers

The Journal reports this morning, link;

Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden said in an interview with USA Today that it will be difficult to reform the department because it is “stuck” with officers who “shouldn’t be on the force.”

Eden's excuse for tolerating the presence of officers who shouldn't be on the force, is that he is not allowed (by the Constitution and a union contract) to put officers in double jeopardy over previous misconduct.

In my experience, when a bad employee cannot be dismissed, it is because bad supervisor did not provide due process.  To characterize a union's insistence upon due process as an attempt to allow problem employees to remain employed, is dishonest.

Eden avers, all large departments have people on the force who shouldn’t be on the force."

It's a bet I would cover in a heart beat.

Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association President Stephanie Lopez said Eden’s comments were a “surprising disappointment.”  I hope none of the surprise has to do with manifest truth that there are "some" problem cops on River City's police force.

A contributing factor in drawing a conclusion that there are bad cops on every city's police force, is the Blue Code of Silence, wikilink, in every city's police force.  There wouldn't be one, if there didn't need to be one.

To the extent that silence gives consent; good cops give their consent to the existence of the Blue Code of Silence.

If Eden wants to call cops out on their character;
he needs to call them out on their Blue Code of Silence.
The cops can't have it both ways; it's either/or;

either enable a Blue Code of Silence, or

allow bad cops to get what they have coming

The Blue Code of Silence is to the trustworthiness of police officers as; owning slaves was to representation that all men are created equal.

It is disappointing that police officer and teachers unions in particular, can't figure out and put into words; what it means to be a good member of their profession.

It's worse that because of that failure, they still haven't figured out how to meaningfully police their own professions.